Pressure container with recessed top



Aug. 25, 1964 J. w. EVERETT PRESSURE CONTAINER WITH RECESSED TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1962 L INVENTOR QZE m United States Patent 3,145,884 PRESSURE CONTAINER WITH RECESSED TOP John W. Everett, 37 48 Beech Ave., Baltimore, Md. Filed June 25, 1962, Ser. No. 204,851 3 Claims. (Cl. 222386.5)

The present invention relates to an improved pressure container and the method of making the same and is a continuation in part of patent application Serial No. 785,086, filed January 5, 1959, now Patent .No. 3,040,933.

The invention has to do with the type of pressure container in which the material carried by the container is maintained in a separate compartment from the medium used in creating pressure in the container for expelling the material. The container is especially designed for use with an evaporating liquid such as Freon, a trade name for a product sold .by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company of Wilmington, Delaware, but does not exclude the use of other liquids of similar nature and pressure medium such as nitrogen gas, etc. The advantage of a liquid type pressure medium is that it can be compounded to evaporate at relatively low pressures and at the desired pressure for a particular product, which makes it ideal for pressure containers.

The present container is constructed with a flexible bag made from an organic plastic substance and one which for all practical purposes is impervious to the passage of a gas. Such materials are now available on the market. While these non-porous materials have the advantage of being impervious to gas, they have the disadvantage of having very little elasticity before they become porous to a degree. Therefore, the use of such a bag made of this material must be so constructed and incorporated within the container as to expell all the contents from the container with very little, or no stretching of the bag.

There are various types of known pressure containers having the material carried in a bag. However, the present invention provides a container of this class that will not island (that is, choke off a portion of the material in the bag) and at the same time aiford a greater capacity for material carried by the container than is possible at the present time with similar containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rigid hermetically sealed container including a flexible bag having an open and closed end in which a substantial portion of the bag adjacent its open end is fitted to the inside of the container, the open end of the bag being secured to the container adjacent its top for dividing the container into two air-tight compartments whose sizes vary inversely to each other by moving the closed end of the bag longitudinally of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for fixing the side area of the bag adjacent the open end of the bag in extended fixed position from the top of the container to a predetermined point along the side of the container, which is designated as the fold line for the bag.

Still another object of the invention is to provide that only the side wall beyond the fold line and the adjacent closed end of the bag will be flexible and free for movement longitudinally of the container.

While the principal objects of the invention have been set forth, other objects, uses and advantages may be apparent to those skilled in the art, however, in general the invention consists in its novel construction, combination and arrangement of its several parts as described in detail in the specification to follow, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the containerv "ice FIGURE 2 is a vertical view of the top cover for the container partly in section and partly in elevation.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the same.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the container showing in detail the relationship between the container and the bag element.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of the container body and bag element.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of a cradle member adapted to be positioned beneath the closed end of the bag when the bag is in its downward'position for supporting the same.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the same.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the offset portion A shown in FIGURE 5 with the flexible portion of the bag extending toward the top of the container.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing the flexible portion of the bag extending downward toward the bottom of the container.

FIGURE 10 is a view on a reduced scale of the shape of the bag used with the modified shape of the container shown in FIGURE 5.

In describing the invention the reference characters are used to designate like and similar parts throughout the several views.

The improved container is provided in general with a rigid outer body portion 12, a rigid bottom member 13, a rigid top cover member C and a collapsible bag B. The rigid container is preferably of cylindrical shape, the top cover preferably convex shape and the bottom preferably of concave shape; however, the specific shapes of the members may be changed without altering their functions so far as the present invention is concerned. The bottom 13 is provided with an opening 16, which is closable by a closure 17. The top cover is also provided with an opening 18 (see FIGURE 3) which is adapted to receive a closure 19 having a valve dispensing mechanism associated therewith.

The bag B is generally constructed of a flexible organic plastic substance of any of the well known products now available such as polypropylene. The bag is formed with a closed end and open end having a substantial cylindrical side wall of such dimension as to fit snugly the inside surface of the rigid container body 12 having its closed end of such form as to fit into the contours of the top cover when in its uppermost position. The bag is preferably provided with an outwardly turned flange 20 and adapted to be rolled into a seam S with a similar flange 22 carried by the top cover and a flange 23 carried on the upper end of the body portion 12.

The material from which the bag is constructed is of a readily flexible material. The form of the closed end of the bag is adapted to fit the inside surface of the top cover member C. As shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, the bag B is formed to extend from the top 12' of the. body portion 12 downwardly adjacent the side and toward the bottom of the container for a predetermined distance and short of the bottom of the container where the bag is provided with a closed end 24 of such contour as to fit into the top cover C when in reversed position to be later referred to. The bag is preferably attached to the container by the seam S.

The top cover C is particularly designed to control thefolding of the bag. It is provided with a cylindrical type skirt 26, preferably formed from a single piece of material. The cylindrical portion 26 extends downwardly from the flange 22, to a point 26" approximately one-half the length of the side wall of the bag, where it is formed upwardly, as shown at 26, in the opposite direction and adjacent the portion 26 to a point adjacent the flange 22 3 where it is reduced in diameter as shown at 14 to continue as a cover for the container.

The container is further provided with a cradle 28 for supporting the closed end of thebag when in its downward position. The cradle may be of any convenient form; however, it is shown with a skirt, a foot 28, the lower end of which rests upon the bottom 13 of the container. However, it may be supported in any convenient manner. The cradle is provided with a plurality of openings 29 therethrough its area for allowing the propelling gases to enter and contact the outside surface of the lower end of the bag.

In the list of materials for making the bag, some have very little stretch, or, if stretched beyond a very small degree, they will become porous, therefore, the rigid container wall 30 may be offset as shown at 36' in FIGURES 5, 8 and 9; likewise the bag B" shown in these figures may be shaped to fit this offset. This is to allow for space taken up by the skirt 26 of the top cover and the thickness of the bag laying between the skirt 26 and the container body 12 (see FIGURES 8 and- 9).

Referring again to the closure 17 in the bottom of the container, it is preferably provided with a plug of soft substance 17' which is compounded to melt at a predetermined temperature, such as wood metal, to act as a safety valve in case the container was subjected to excessive heat, in that, the melting plug would melt and thereby release the expelling fluid.

The closure 17 is adapted to be fixed within the opening 16 by expanding the same, and which is now in general use in this type container, the closure being inserted after the propelling fluid has been inserted into the lower end of the container. However, the expellent fluid may be injected through any other type of standard means, such as a soft elastic plug such as are now being used in containers, footballs, basket balls, etc.

The container and its contents may be assembled in the following manner. First the bag is inserted in the top of the body member 12 until its flange about the open end rests on the upper flange of the body portion; second, the top cover is inserted in the upper end of the bag until its flange 22 is adjacent the flange carried about the open end of the bag at which time the three flanges are rolled into a double seam, as shown in FIGURE 4. At this point the cradle may be inserted, or it may have been inserted prior to inserting the bag into the upper end of the container body. The bottom 13 is doubled seamed to the bottom of the container body. At this point the ingredients may be placed into the container through the opening 18 and the top closure 19 hermetically sealed in the opening. The container may then be inverted and Freon inserted into the space D between the cradle and the bottom 13 of the container and the closure 17 inserted. While a certain procedure has been given in assembling the container, it is quite possible another order of assembly may be more desirable under some circumstances.

In operation, the material is sealed into the bag within the container and its only avenue of escape is through the valve mechanism carried in the top cover C. The expellant being an evaporating liquid at predetermined pressure at a predetermined temperature will evaporate at a certain pressure moving through the openings 29 in the cradle 28 and exerting pressure upon the flexible portion of the bag which in turn exerts pressure on the material within the bag. The valve mechanism in the closure 19 is operated to release the material by pressing downwardly on the portion 19 which allows the material to escape through the spout 19". When the material is released through the closure the pressure of the fluid carried in the bottom of the container begins to collapse the bag. As more material is released the more the closed end of the bag is moved toward the top of the container until the bag reaches the position shown by the dotted line B in FIGURE 1.

In this position all the material carried in the container has been exhausted. The amount of expellant fluid may be accurately calculated as there is no way for it to escape from the bottom component of the container. It should be noted that the pressure on the surfaces of each side of the bag is practically the same, therefore, there is very little possibility for the expellant to go through the bag into the material chamber.

By this construction, and by using a material in the making of the bag that is impervious to the expellant fluid, or one that is nearly so, there will be very little intermingling of the fluid with the material to be dispensed.

This type container is quite desirable, and in some cases vitally important to keep the material separate from the expellant. For example, in food, it changes the color of some and in others it changes the taste and in some both color and taste. It may also have certain chemical effects on the materials when mixed therewith such as in medicines, etc.

It can also be seen that by the use of an evaporating fluid the pressure on the material may be kept constant throughout the complete operation of dispensing of the product.

The present container primarily provides an arrangement of the several elements making up the container, whereby, the bag is supported when its closed end is adjacent the bottom of the container (that is, when the bag is filled with material) and also when the closed end is adjacent the top cover (when the material is in its final stage of being expelled). The bag being held adjacent the side wall of the container by the skirt 26 of the cover C causes the bag to fold about a folded line 26" (see FIGURE 1) and in this manner prevents the bag from islanding, thereby causing the flexible remaining portion of the side wall and closed end of the bag 24 to move freely longitudinally of the container from the fold line 26" up along the inner surface of the top cover member C into a smooth and unwrinkled position.

Of course, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

Having illustrated and described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful and desired to be covered by Letters Patent is:

1. A pressure container for dispensing materials comprising in combination, an outer rigid body portion of greater vertical height than its diameter, an outer rigid bottom upon which the container may be independently supported hermetically closing one end of the body portion and an outer rigid top cover hermetically fixed to the opposite end of the body portion including an opening for receiving a closure and a valve mechanism fixed within the opening through which the material is introduced and dispensed, a bag having a side wall, a closed end and an open end where the closed end and a portion of the side wall adjacent thereto are movable longitudinally of the bag, a portion of the side wall of the bag adjacent the open end being of substantially the same diameter as the said body portion and slidably receivable into the upper end of the rigid body portion and hermetically sealed about the upper end thereof, the top of the outer container having a skirt extending downwardly from the upper end of the body portion for engaging the open end of the bag for maintaining the open end and a portion of the side wall in open position, from the inner edge of the skirt to the inner surface of the top being of substantially the same distance as the distance from the lower edge of the skirt to the closed end of the bag, said top extending over the entire upper end of the body portion and at a height at least as high as the upper end of the said body portion of the container, the inner surface of the top being of substantially the same form as the closed end of the bag, the closed end of the bag and the portion of the side wall adjacent the closed end beyond the inner edge of the extended skirt portion of the top being flexible and movable from its downward position adjacent the bottom of the container to an upwardly extended position into the top and along the inner surface of the skirt carried by the top, the inner end of the downwardly extended portion of the top cover providing a fulcrum about which the flexible portion of the bag is folded whereby, the flexible wall and closed end portion of the bag is adapted to receive the material to be dispensed when in its downward position, means provided for an expandable fluid between the bottom of the container and the outer surface of the closed end and adjacent flexible side wall of the bag for forcing the flexible portion of the bag and the material therein upwardly toward the top of the container for dispensing the materials through the said dispensing valve mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Beremand Feb. 9, 1960 Everett June 26, 1962 

1. A PRESSURE CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING MATERIALS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN OUTER RIGID BODY PORTION OF GREATER VERTICAL HEIGHT THAN ITS DIAMETER, AN OUTER RIGID BOTTOM UPON WHICH THE CONTAINER MAY BE INDEPENDENTLY SUPPORTED HERMETICALLY CLOSING ONE END OF THE BODY PORTION AND AN OUTER RIGID TOP COVER HERMETICALLY FIXED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE BODY PORTION INCLUDING AN OPENING FOR RECEIVING A CLOSURE AND A VALVE MECHANISM FIXED WITHIN THE OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE MATERIAL IS INTRODUCED AND DISPENSED, A BAG HAVING A SIDE WALL, A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END WHERE THE CLOSED END AND A PORTION OF THE SIDE WALL ADJACENT THERETO ARE MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BAG, A PORTION OF THE SIDE WALL OF THE BAG ADJACENT THE OPEN END BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIAMETER AS THE SAID BODY PORTION AND SLIDABLY RECEIVABLE INTO THE UPPER END OF THE RIGID BODY PORTION AND HERMETICALLY SEALED ABOUT THE UPPER END THEREOF, THE TOP OF THE OUTER CONTAINER HAVING A SKIRT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE UPPER END OF THE BODY PORTION FOR ENGAGING THE OPEN END OF THE BAG FOR MAINTAINING THE OPEN END AND A PORTION OF THE SIDE WALL IN OPEN POSITION, FROM THE INNER EDGE OF THE SKIRT TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TOP BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DISTANCE AS THE DISTANCE FROM THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SKIRT TO THE CLOSED END OF THE BAG, SAID TOP EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE UPPER END OF THE BODY PORTION AND AT A HEIGHT AT LEAST AS HIGH AS THE UPPER END OF THE SAID BODY PORTION OF THE CONTAINER, THE INNER SURFACE OF THE TOP BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME FORM AS THE CLOSED END OF THE BAG, THE CLOSED END OF THE BAG AND THE PORTION OF THE SIDE WALL ADJACENT THE CLOSED END BEYOND THE INNER EDGE OF THE EXTENDED SKIRT PORTION OF THE TOP BEING FLEXIBLE AND MOVABLE FROM ITS DOWNWARD POSITION ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER TO AN UPWARDLY EXTENDED POSITION INTO THE TOP AND ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SKIRT CARRIED BY THE TOP, THE INNER END OF THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDED PORTION OF THE TOP COVER PROVIDING A FULCRUM ABOUT WHICH THE FLEXIBLE PORTION OF THE BAG IS FOLDED WHEREBY, THE FLEXIBLE WALL AND CLOSED END PORTION OF THE BAG IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE MATERIAL TO BE DISPENSED WHEN IN ITS DOWNWARD POSITION, MEANS PROVIDED FOR AN EXPANDABLE FLUID BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER AND THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CLOSED END AND ADJACENT FLEXIBLE SIDE WALL OF THE BAG FOR FORCING THE FLEXIBLE PORTION OF THE BAG AND THE MATERIAL THEREIN UPWARDLY TOWARD THE TOP OF THE CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING THE MATERIALS THROUGH THE SAID DISPENSING VALVE MECHANISM. 